Oar coupling



ZSheets-Shet 1. r J. O. REED.

GAR COUPLING.

(No Model.)

Patented Nov. 29, 1887.

(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 2.

1,0; REED. GAB. COUPLING.

No. 374,087. Patented Nov. 29, 1887.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN G. REED, OF TOPEKA, KANSAS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JAMES L.

'RANKINE, OF SAME PLACE.

CAR-COUPLING.

, SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 374,087, dated November 29, 1887. Application filed July 23, 1887. -Serial No. 245,105. (No model.)

To all whom iv may concern:

' -Be it known that I, JOHN G. REED, a citizen of the United States, residing at Topeka, county of Shawnee, and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oar-Couplings, fully described in the following specification and represented in the accompanying drawings.

This in vention relates, generally, to carcouplings, and particularly to that class wherein the coupling-pin is so hung as to be capable of vertical movement to releasea coupling-link, and capable of a swinging movement to permit the insertion of a link without the necessity of the withdrawal of the pin for that purpose.

It is the object of the present invention, among other things, to so improve the structme of this class of couplings as to capacitate it to all the exigencies to which its use may be subjected-that is to say, to adapt it not only for use with like couplings, but with those of other makes employing a coupling-link.

To this end the invention consists in the novel structure hereinafter set forth, and in combinations of parts, all of which are too fully hereinafter specified to need preliminary description here.

In the accompanying drawings a practical embodiment of the present invention is illustrated, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved car-coupling and a portion of a carbody provided with means for raising the coupling-pinfor uncoupling from a distant point. Fig. 2 is a plan view and horizontal sectional elevation of a pair of the improved couplings connected together by a coupling link or links. Fig. 3 is a central vertical section of the same, taken on the line a: of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a like view illustrating the improved coupling in connection with'one of the wellknown forms of old couplings, showing them in the act of being coupled. Fig. 5 is a dia' gram to be hereinafter referred to. Fig. 6 is a vertical cross-section taken on the line as of Fig. 3, and Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view of a part to be hereinafter described.

Referring to said drawings, it is to be understood that A represents the draw-head of the improved coupling, provided with the usual flared mouth, to properly direct the coupling-link into the opening in the head, and provided with the usual draw-bar, I, and secured to the car in the ordinary manner.

The class of couplings to which this invention particularly relates, although some of its features mightv obviously be used in other classes'of couplings, employs two couplingpins, which thus adapts it for use with two coupling-links. In the present instance the coupling-head is provided with two pins, B D, the former adapted to automatically couple a link presented to it by another coupling, and the latter to confine a link, which its coupling carries, for presenting to another coupling.

The coupling-pin B is seated in suitable slots or openings,10 12,provided, respectively, in the top and bottom portions of the head,

and is adapted to secure a coupling-link, as O,

to its head. This pin B is pivotally connected at 13 to suitable links, 14, preferably arranged upon its opposite sides,which are each in turn pivoted at 11 to cars or other projections, 15, formed on the top portion of the couplinghead. The effect of so connecting the coupling-pin, as seen in Fig. 5, is to enable it to. swing in arcs of two circles, one are described by the end of the pin in swinging rearward on pivot 13, and the other in an are described from the pivot 11, upon which the links 14 move in raising the pin from the opening 12, from which movements it results that when the pin is in its normal position, as shown, a coupling-link carried by an adjacent couplinghead, in abutting against said pin in the act of being inserted within the head,willvibrate or swing said pinnpwardly, so as to permit the link to pass under it, which, when its opening has arrived at the proper point, will vibrate or swing by its weight back to its normal position, and be thus automatically projected th rough and secure the link to the head. To release the coupling-link the pin may be raised and swung slightly rearward by the motion of the links 14 sufficient to permit the withdrawal of the coupling-link. The other coupling-pin, I), is also held in suitabl openings in the head; but instead of being 10 ted in close proximity with the pivoted and swingl ing pin B, and in front of the vertical flange 20, (which acts as a stop to contact with the deadwood F of the car-body H when the couplingheads of adjoining cars are pressed together,) is located in rear of the said flange, so that normally the dead-wood will project slightly over its head, as shown by dot-ted lines, Fig. 3, and thus prevent said pin from being withdrawn to release the link 0, which is engaged by it. This feature is of considerable importance in practice, as itpreveuts any malicious tampering with the coupling, either by stealing the pin or removing the link it secures in place, and thus the coupling is provided to all intents and purposes with a permanent link, which is always in place and ready to serve the purpose of coupling cars together. Such a structure, and, indeed, in other structures not employing a link permanently connected thereto, also requires to be adapted to hold a link in such a manner as to enable the coupling it is secured to to be coupled with couplings of other makes,so that the presence of such a link will not interfere with its capacity to couple another link presented to it with equal readiness. To this end the coupling-head is provided with a chamber or pocket, 15, extending rearward a sufiicient distance to permit a coupling-link, as G, to be pushed into and be wholly contained within the head without interfering with the ready operation and manipulation of the coupling-pin B, as shown in Fig. 4.

\Vhile it is preferable in practice that this pocket should be of such size as to enable it to contain the entire link, so that its end does not project beyond the mouth of the coupling-head, it should be stated that this is not essential so long as the greater portion of the link is removed from projecting from the head. In order that the link so inserted shall be held in such position as not to obstruct the passage of another link into the same head to be coupled thereto, the front end of the link is preferably elevated, or the link inclined in the manner shown, and thus provide a clear space for the passage of thelink 0 presented to it by another or an ordinary coupling-head, as G. The link is raised and supported in this position by providing the pocket E with a seat, 17, extending across its bottom between the vertical side walls of the pocket, and with a guide, 18, extending from the rear wall of the pocket. Although this guide maysimply consist of a projection permitting the end of the coupling-lin k to project below and bear against it, it is preferably provided with an inclined face, as shown, so that the end of the couplinglink projecting over the seat 17 in abutting against its face will be guided downward, and thus rocked so as to elevate the opposite end of the link, and when in this position be confined between the rest 17 and guide 18. Of course it is obvious that the seat and guide might be so arranged as to hold the link inclined in the opposite direction; but as this would necessitate some slight additions thereto to keep the link in its inclined position the mode shown is to be preferred.

\Vith the present experience of railway-engineers a coupling should also be adapted to so couple cars together as to have little or no slack between the coupling-links and the pins. Such slack is reduced to the minimum in the present improved structure by the novel construction now to be described. The head of the pin B is provided with a projecting nose, 21, (best seen in Fig. 5,) which normally lies in contact with the flange 22 of the flared mouth,(it may be provided in any other manner,) so that a link, as 0, (represented in dot; ted lines,) in moving against the lower end of the pin to swing it rearwardly to be coupled thereby, tends to rock the pins on the pivot B and cause its head to be rocked in the opposite direction. In so doing, however, its nose 21 is pressed against the flange 22 in such a manner as to partially offset its tendency to rock, the result of which will be to cause the nose to ride on said flange and the end of the pinto be raised nearly in a vertical direction, or so little does it rock to one side that immediately the center of metal portion of the end 8 of the link underlies the inclined end 23 of the pin the latter by its weight will at once slide off the end S and fall into its opening and thus secure the link, without the necessity of therebeing any considerable slack be.- tween it and the pin. The seat 17 also serves as a stop against which the coupling-link, as C, may bear to prevent it from being moved rearward when it is presented to and abuts against the coupling-pin B in the act of coupling.

The side walls of the coupling-head A are preferably perforated by an opening, 7, so as to lighten the casting as much as possible and to provide an opening by means of which the interior of the head may be seen. These perforations also imparta certain amount of elasticity to the head and enable it to resist the great strain it is subjected to when adjoining coupling-heads are brought suddenly in contact with one another. Means are also provided by which the automatic coupling-pin B may be raised to take its end out of the opening 12 in the head, so as to release a couplinglink. These means consist in a rod, 9, suitably supported ovcr the coupling-head A in any convenient mannersuch, for instance, as to the body H of a car. (Sec Fig.1.) This rod is provided with a stud, 6, projecting therefrom and connected by a chain or other means, 5, with the head of the pin B. The rod is also provided at its end with handles, by which it may be slightly rotated to rock the stud 6 and raise the coupling-pin. In this movement of the stud it passes one or more hooks, 4, which project from a plate secured to the car body, as shown, and are adapted to be engaged by one of the hooks by moving the rod and its stud laterally a short distance,

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(see Fig. 7 and thus support the coupling-pin B in its raised position, should it be necessary to do so.

By providing two hooks, one on either side of the stud, its rod may be moved laterally in either direction and the coupling-pin raised Without thenecessity of the brakeman' going between the cars.

What I claim is 1. The combination, with a car-coupling and the dead-wood to which it is secured, of two coupling-pins carried by said coupling, one fixedly located under said dead wood and the other pivotally mounted in the coupling, substantially as"described.

. 2. The herein-described car-coupling provided with a pocket adapted to receive and contain the coupling-link, and means, such as are described, for inclining the link and supporting itin its inclined position, substantially as described. I v

3. The combination of a car-coupling provided with a pocket for receiving the full length of the coupling-link, a seat, as 17, and

a guide for supporting the link in an inclined position, substantially as described.

4. The combination of a car-coupling provided with a pocket for receiving the full length of the coupling-link, a seat, and an inclined guide coacting with the 'seat to incline the link, substantially as described.

5. The combination, with a car-coupling and its coupling-pin, of a rotatable rod connected With said pin,'and an angularly-bent hook, as 4, substantially as described.

6. The combination, with a car-coupling and its coupling-pin, of a rotatable rod having a projecting stud connected with said pin, and a pair of angularly-bent hooks, 4, with which said stud may be engaged, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof Ihave signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN C. REED. Witnesses:

J. R. JoHNsToN, H. O. LINDSEY. 

